Peace or Prosperity

I have a very heaven-minded husband. He longs to be in the presence of the Lord and would often much rather be there than here. When we first started dating and even upon engagement and marriage, I did not understand his way of thinking. In times of Scripture memorization, I often questioned the verses, “Who have I in heaven but you? And beside You I desire nothing on earth” or “To depart and be with Christ is much better, but for your sake I remain.” I fully and readily admit that I felt quite at home here, and in a sense my love for S may have felt more tangible and reciprocal than my love with Christ.

But through these last few years, my heart and hunger for Heaven have increased. My passion to share with the lost has more deeply developed. My love for the Lord has reached the heights because I know this world has nothing to offer me.

I don’t mean this in a fatalistic sort of way. I believe we should be taking advantage of opportunities, serving the Lord and each other well, enjoying the blessings He has given us here, but our HOPE, our JOY, our TRUST, our PURPOSE should not be here. It should be found in the person of Christ and in His promises.

I’ve been reading a book entitled Stepping Heavenward by E. Prentiss. It’s a journal of a woman’s journey to godliness. The main character, Kate faces many hardships in life: her father dies when she is still a child, upon marriage her husband is often away and she is left with a household of critical observers, her son dies, and she faces much illness. Here are quotes near the end of her journal:

“And I can see now, what I wonder I did not see at the time, that God was dealing very kindly and wisely with me…” (256)

“But I see more and more that happiness is not dependent on health or any other outside prosperity. We are at peace with each other and at peace with God; His dealings with us do not perplex or puzzle us, though we do not pretend to understand them” (257).

“God’s ways are infinitely perfect; we are to love Him for what He is and therefore equally as much when He afflicts as when He prospers us; there is no real happiness but in doing and suffering His will; and that this life is but a scene of probation through which we pass to the real life above” (258).

There is a great temptation in American today to believe the lie that God exists to prosper us and that is when we are truly blessed. John Piper does a wonderful job of sharing that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him through suffering. Please watch this excellent video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEZGDFKI6LE

God is our strength in weakness. He is glorified in us when we praise Him through hardship. He is our glorified when we’re content to not compare. He is glorified when our hearts don’t long for more outside Him. He is glorified when everything around us fails and we fix our eyes on Him. May He be glorified in us today.